• To Tell the Truth
• Slipping in the Search Engines? Try These Tips
• What is a Value Prop?

Archived Issues

To Tell the Truth

C’mon, admit it. When you read a brochure, see an advertisement, or come across most corporate sales materials, you’re just a little bit skeptical, aren’t you? With good reason, I might add. Most of us have become used to the idea that when companies or organizations sell to us, they are probably adding their own “spin”, or maybe even trying to make their products sound just a little bit better than they really are.

Web marketing is different, though. The web is a giant source of information, a place where consumers can research products and prices and facts. It’s a place where shoppers tend to rely less on emotion and more on logic. A place where “spin” may not have the same power as in other marketing genres.

For example, let’s look at customer testimonials. Customer testimonials are always an effective marketing tactic, but web testimonials have a certain honesty to them because there are so many ways to verify the information. With the popularity of interactive blogs and product rating systems (like on Amazon or Ebay), it’s quite easy to find out what other customers think. Of course, not every single testimonial is 100% truthful, but after seeing similar comments from a variety of different web sources, customers begin to feel reassured by the collective experience and get a sense of what others think about a given product, service, or company.

Because so much information is freely available on the web, customers can easily find the best deal, the best value, and the best quality. They can compare products and services, plus have the data to back it up. They can find the truth. They can make buying decisions that are not based on marketing hype or “spin,” but on facts and information.

So go ahead, impress your customers with your honesty! Web users are becoming more sophisticated and better informed every day, so give them sincere, honest information on your web site. As they verify information and comparison shop, make sure you showcase your integrity –- because on the web, it matters.

Slipping in the Search Engines? Try these Tips

A diamond might be “forever”, but your search engine rankings certainly are not! With advancing technology, algorithm updates, and new web sites appearing every day, it can be challenge to keep your web site visible on the search results pages. So if you’ve noticed your rankings aren’t what they used to be, here are some tips you can use to give them a boost:

1. Fresh Content
Search engine “spiders” love fresh content. Adding new content to your web site attracts search engine spiders (or “bots”) and gives them new material to add to their databases. Even small updates matter – adding new FAQs, press releases, product updates, or even pricing updates will trigger the search engine spiders to pay a visit to your site.

2. RSS Feeds
Speaking of fresh content (above), RSS feeds are a great way to keep fresh content flowing to your web site every day. If you haven’t heard of RSS feeds, these are “Really Simple Syndication” feeds from other web sites that you can display on your own web site, usually for free. RSS feeds can contain information on just about any topic of interest to your visitors. News feeds, current industry information, or relevant publications are all good candidates for RSS feed topics.

3. Directory Submission
One of the quickest ways to gain visibility on the web is to add your site to top-performing online directories. The benefits are two-fold; first, your business gets listed and is exposed to more web users, and two, directory listings also serve as “inbound links” that can help your web site rank better in the search engines.

4. Local Search
It’s often easier for your business to get good rankings in local search results since they are focused on a specific geographic area (instead of competing with all web sites across the entire web). You get a two-fold benefit here as well; your business is more visible to web users, and the local listings create inbound links that help your placement in the larger search engines.

5. Blog Posts
If you don’t already have a blog or use a blog, you really should consider giving it a try! Try visiting blogs that are relevant to your business or industry, or that you think your visitors would be interested in. You can add posts, pass along links, or even advertise on some blogs. Blogs are typically very niche-focused, so by participating in a blog you are interacting with other bloggers who are already pre-qualified!

What is a Value Prop?

Many of us have heard of a “Value Proposition” (or value prop), but may not know exactly what it is. And even if you know what it is, do you have one for your business?

A value proposition is simply the “thing” that makes you better than your competition. It’s the basic reason customers choose your product, or why they may be willing to pay more for your product than a competitor’s. However, a value proposition is NOT a list of product benefits, and that’s where many small businesses often get stuck.

Highlighting your product benefits is important, of course, but chances are that your competitors already assert many of the same benefits about their products. A value proposition identifies the differentiator, the unique core value that your company offers.

To develop a value proposition for your business:

1. Think about the core competencies of your company. Take note of what makes your product unlike any others, and what your product offers that only your company provides.
   
2. Research your competitors. How do they market themselves? What do they say about their products and services? How do they present their value proposition? After you identify these, list the competition’s core competencies along side of yours. Look for the differences, and take note of the areas where consumers might think your competition excels. You can then level the playing field by highlighting your excellence in these areas as well.
   
3. Narrow in on one core value. Prioritize your core competencies, then select the one that best represents your company’s core value. Use that in your marketing materials and build your identity around that value. No company can be all things to all people, so stick to only one core value if possible.
   
4. Put your value proposition into words. Use it as a starting point for building marketing materials, communicating with the press, training your sales staff, and creating a marketing message. Back it up with examples of how you help customers save money, save time, solve problems, etc.

If you don’t have an official value proposition for your business, you may want to create one. A concise, distinctive value proposition helps define your company and set you apart from the competition. Once you have it on paper, make sure that everyone in your company knows what it is and can uphold your company's core value each day.

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